


Oversight

by Greenismyfav



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Angst, Family Feels, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Someone is a biter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-16
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-16 04:51:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11821602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Greenismyfav/pseuds/Greenismyfav
Summary: Today wasn’t going to be a great day.  Jay knew that the minute he woke up with the pounding headache.  He’d been pushing through several headaches this week.  Even in Auradon, he still felt that it wasn’t safe to show weakness, but what if there is more going on here?  Something no one had thought of before in relation to the VKs.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> Love these movies. Love every character, but love the VKs pack feel so much more. Let me know what you think.

Oversite

Chapter One

                Today wasn’t going to be a great day.  Jay knew that the minute he woke up with the pounding headache.  He’d been pushing through several headaches this week.  Even in Auradon, he still felt that it wasn’t safe to show weakness.  Jay had fought the pain.  Ignored it.  Tried to ignore it, anyway.  Thank goodness coach has canceled most of practice this week due to exam schedules.

                “Hey, Jay!” Carlos called from the bathroom as Jay cringed, rubbing his temples slowly, “You awake yet?”

                “I’m awake,” Jay sighed, slipping from the bed and grabbing at the wall to steady himself as he shook his head to try and clear the fog making dizziness.

                “Today’s waffle day,” Carlos chirped, skipping from the bathroom as Jay straightened, “You okay, Man?”

                “Yeah, just tired from exams,” Jay lied, grabbing some clothes as he walked stiffly to go clean up and get dressed.

                “You sore or something?” Carlos asked, trailing after his best friend.

                “Yeah.  Must have slept wrong,” Jay hissed, stretching a bit before throwing a smirk over his shoulder, “Warm shower will loosen me up.  I’ll be done quick.”

                “Yeah, okay,” Carlos said as Jay looked to him and scowled, “Okay, I hear you.  Stop being nosy.  I get it.”

                Jay snorted softly as Carlos flashed a grin before the older teen closed the door behind him and turned on the shower to warm it up.  He loved scalding showers the best, but his stomach twisted in displeasure at all his movements.

                “Fine.  You’re fine,” Jay whispered, placing his hands on the sink counter to stare at himself in the mirror, “Be cool.  Push through.  Oh, geez.”

                Jay turned and vomited into the commode, glad that his hair was pulled back and that the water was running so Carlos wouldn’t hear.  Couldn’t show weakness.  Mustn’t show weakness.  Severe headaches always made him nauseas.  Pull it together.  Jay flushed the toilet and stepped gratefully into the shower stall after stripping out of his clothes and undoing his mass of hair.  Warm water helped ease some of the muscle pain and headache.  It was a better feeling teen that stepped from the bathroom, dressed and ready for the day despite damp hair.

                “You really need a trim,” Carlos chortled, watching Jay brush out his hair, “Stuffs almost to your waist now.”

                “Hm,” Jay hummed, shaking his hair out before placing his cap on his head, “Probably.  It's just that Evie hasn't had a moment to give me a haircut.  I only trust her with my hair.”

                “Same here,” Carlos agreed, pulling at a curl, “Waffles!  Come on, Dude.  Let’s go, Jay.”

                Jay grinned as his best friend sprinted out the door with his doggy friend following.  The taller teen grabbed both of their bookbags before locking the door behind him to follow after the teen acting like a toddler.  Jay groaned softly as another wave of dizziness hit him.

                “Push through,” Jay gritted out, breathing deeply, “You’re fine.”

                Jay straightened and walked calmly to the cafeteria.  His headache was pounding hard and the thought of eating was out of the question.  The teen trudged to the usual table and dropped both bags to the floor as the buzzing of the students around him made him wince inside.

                “Hey,” Evie greeted, turning to look at him, “Jay, you look…tired.”

                “Do I?” Jay asked, glancing over to see Evie, Mal, and Ben giving him concerned looks, “Exams suck.  I’m not so much the academic.”

                “You are very smart when you apply yourself,” Mal snorted, “Looks like you might have worked pretty hard for exams this time.”

                “Coach said that our grades have to be at a B level or no sports,” Jay moaned, pouting for effect as Carlos bounced over with his tray of waffles, “I’m dying of book boredom.”

                The group laughed.  Jay’s ploy worked.  Smoke and mirrors.  Throw out a bit of the truth to redirect from the actual issue.  Cover all weaknesses.  Strong front.

                “Jay, waffles,” Carlos pushed, shoving his loaded fork beneath his friend’s nose as Jay frowned at him, “Go get some.”

                “Yeah, sure,” Jay agreed, standing reluctantly to grab some food.

                The smells near the food options made his stomach roll, but he grabbed a few things randomly and went back to sit with his chattering friends.  Jay tried to eat a little something to settle his stomach.  A few bites of waffle made him want to retch again.  He felt miserable so he pushed the food around to make it look like he was eating.  Thank goodness, the others were too involved in their own food and conversation to notice him…or so he thought.

                “Jay, are you okay?” Ben asked suddenly as the whole table grew silent and glanced to the confused, former thief.

                “Yeah, why?” Jay lied as the eyes stared at him.

                “You are pale,” Evie pointed out, giving Jay a mirror, “Like really pale.  Are you sure you’re okay?

                Jay glanced into the mirror and winced.  He was pale.  Way too pale.  Damn it!

                “Oh, look.  Pretty Boy is checking himself out.”

                “Hello, Chad,” Jay snorted, handing Evie back her mirror, “Good morning, Jerk.  How are you?”

                Chad blinked as he stared at his “rival.”  Chad Charming was not the brightest glint in the glass slipper, but he had eyes.

                “You look like shit,” Chad blurted as Jay laughed, “Well, you do.”

                “Thanks,” Jay drawled, “Little tired, Chad.  Exams, saving Auradon with my capable friends, whipping your butt at every sport imaginable.  Takes a lot out of even a fine man, such as myself, but you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?  Seeing as you’ve never quite done… _anything_ remarkable at all.”

                “Jay,” Ben warned as Chad spluttered indignantly while Mal, Evie, and Carlos ducked their heads to hide their smirks, “Chad, see you in first period.  Jay, you are…naughty.”

                “Naughty and nice.  Saying it twice,” Jay sang, snatching up his bag and tray while appreciating the distraction from his mostly full plate, “Naughty and nice.  Just _love_ that spice.  Like fire and ice, just take my advice.  There’s nothing like being naughty…and, well, _maybe_ nice.”

                “Ham,” Ben teased as Jay took off before he turned to the others, “Jay was very pale there for a second.  He’s okay, right?”

                “Probably wouldn’t say either way,” Mal said, munching on a strawberry as Ben raised a brow, “Um, former Isle members here, Ben.  Admitting to anything shows weakness.  Weakness can be exploited and used against you.  Carlos?”

                “Looked real tired when he woke up,” Carlos reported, sneaking Dude some table scraps, “Was also walking like he was sore on the way to the restroom.  Said he slept wrong.  Seemed fine after his shower, but Ben is right.  Jay was a bit too pale for my liking.  Coloring settled while he was putting Chad No-So-Charming in his place.”

                “Then Jay’s just overworked himself to maintain his place on the teams he loves so much,” Mal decided, standing, “I’ve got him for 2nd and 3rd period.”

                “Jay’s mine for 1st and 5th,” Evie nodded out.

                “I’ve got him 4th and 6th period, but I won’t be there at afterschool practice today since I’m doing that project for Fairy Godmother,” Carlos added, turning to Ben, “You?”

                “Me, what?” Ben questioned in confusion.

                “ _Oh_ , he doesn’t understand,” Evie guessed as the others realized their mistake, “Isle people cannot show weakness, Ben.  It’s habit to cover an illness, wound, or emotional trauma or…it’s just not good to show vulnerability.  Especially for Jay.”

                “I’m not following,” Ben admitted as his girlfriend nodded.

                “We four watch one another’s backs, when on the Isle and here” Mal began as the prince listened, “Jay’s father accepted no excuses from his son.  Jay wasn’t allowed to have a sick day or feel too off to…collect merchandise.  Jafar loved to beat Jay until he couldn’t stand back up for anything he could blame on his son.  We’ve seen that…well, more times than we like to admit.  Out of all of us, Jay hides any pain the most.”

                “So we watch Jay carefully,” Carlos continued as Ben sat back in his chair, looking concerned, “Keep him from causing more harm to himself if he’s pushing through something he’s hiding from everyone.  You got Jay covered for practice, right?”

                Ben warmed at the questioning looks thrown his way.  These four, the VKs that were still so guarded, was trusting him to watch over one of their own.

                “Of course, I do,” Ben agreed as the others flashed him smiles, “I promise.  I’ll watch him just as carefully.”

                They all did and Jay knew it.  He felt the eyes on him all day as he pushed through how miserable he felt.  He kept up the façade of cool indifference as he flirted and joked his way through the day.  Jay ignored the aching muscles, feelings of dizziness, throbbing headache, and overall exhaustion as his front stayed firmly in place.  He knew he had Mal, Evie, and Carlos mostly fooled, but Ben was especially attentive during practice.

                “Gaga goo,” Jay huffed as Ben snorted at him, “What’s with the babysitting, Dude?  I’m not an infant.  Last I looked, I’ve not needed watching since I was two.”

                “Two?” Ben chuckled, “All kids need watching until they are well past…oh.”

                Ben grew silent at Jay’s look.  Isle life sucked.  Enough said.

                “Moving on, you’re focus is off,” Ben sidetracked as Jay frowned at him, “You are missing openings, your movements are slow, and your energy seems down.”

                “Agreed,” the coach interrupted, stepping up to the two, “Jay, what is up with you?”

                “Overdid studying,” Jay sighed, looking away as he flushed a bit, “Got a 3.1 overall GPA after exams though.  I guess it was worth the extra night oil.”

                “Good job, but team captain is right.  You are not yourself,” the coach began, placing a hand to Jay’s forehead, “No fever, but you are clearly worn out and a bit pale.  I also didn’t see you at lunch today.”

                “Ate in my room and took a little nap,” Jay smoothly remarked as Ben cocked his head at the teen, trying to catch any lies, but he sensed nothing overt, “I…I’m really tired, Coach.  Hard to admit that.  Really hard.”

                “You’re not the only one, Son,” the coach reassured as Jay looked up at him in surprise while the man beckoned for everyone to gather, “Team, training is over for the day.  We’re all going to take next week off for some rest and relaxation.  Practices and exams just don’t mix.”

                Mutters of agreement filtered out as Jay slumped a bit in relief.  He just needed to get through dinner and he’d be home free to sleep all weekend.  That would solve his problems.  Jay felt himself sway a bit as a dizzy spell hit him before he righted his equilibrium and stood taller.  Ben hadn’t missed the sway.

                “Nope.  Not happening,” Ben denied, getting in Jay’s face once the two were alone in the locker room and the taller teen tried to escape, “What was that I saw?  You looked lost or confused for a second.”

                “Headache,” Jay admitted as Ben blinked, “Decent one for most of the day.  Happens a lot when I’m overly tired, Ben.  Didn’t want to say anything because…well, my crew doesn’t talk about stuff like that aloud and I didn’t want to worry Mal, Evie, and Carlos.  I took something for it at lunch, but the medicine is beginning to wear off.  That’s all.”

                “Headaches can suck,” Ben muttered as Jay sat tiredly on a bench, “So the meds are the type that you need something on your stomach to take them, right?”

                “Yeah,” Jay agreed, showing the prince the bottle as Ben read the instructions, “I hate feeling medicated so I try not to take anything until I have to.  Fairy Godmother gave these to me a couple of months ago when I finally broke down and asked for some help dealing with a doozy of a headache.  Dinner and then bed.  That’s my plan for the night.”

                “Good plan,” Ben complimented, reaching a hand to help Jay up, “Let’s go get some food in you so you can take your medicine and get some relief.  Now that you’re not hiding the headache from me, I can tell you’re in pain.”

                “Mmhm,” Jay hummed, taking the bottle back from Ben as they walked slowly to the dining hall.

                Jay left to get food as Ben hurried towards Mal and the others.

                “He looks defeated, what happened?” Carlos hissed, glaring at Ben suspiciously, “What’s wrong with Jay?”

                “Headache,” Ben whispered as Carlos blinked and glanced back at his best friend, “Jay finally told me that he gets headaches when he’s overly tired.  Says he took some medicine for it at lunch, but needs to eat so he can take some more.  Coach gave us all next week off so no practice and more resting time.”

                “That’s good,” Carlos answered, “Jay should…”

                Anything else that was going to be said was interrupted by a loud crash and the sound of breaking dishes that made the whole room jump in surprise.  As one, the student body turned and gasped.  Jay lay in a mess of broken plates and cutlery from passing out and overturning the table as he fell.  He lay on his side with his hair covering his face, still and unmoving.

To be continued...


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy.

Chapter Two               

               Anything else that was going to be said was interrupted by a loud crash and the sound of breaking dishes that made the whole room jump in surprise.  As one, the student body turned and gasped.  Jay lay in a mess of broken plates and cutlery from passing out and overturning the table as he fell.  He lay on his side with his hair covering his face, still and unmoving.

                “Oh, no,” Mal whispered, staring in frozen shock.

                “Jay!” Carlos yelled, getting over his own shock as he raced to his friend’s side to brush the teen’s long hair from his face while students began gathering around the fallen teen, “Jay?  Jay, can you hear me?”

                No answer.  No movement.  Only still silence.  Carlos heart beat in fear as he tried to rouse his friend.  Nothing.  Together, Carlos and Mal eased Jay on his back as Evie checked his pulse.

                “Is he okay?” Lonnie demanded, dropping to her knees beside the VKs.

                “Pulse is a bit too slow,” Evie fretted, stroking a hand through the still teen’s hair before placing a hand to his forehead, “He’s cold.”

                "That shouldn't be," Lonnie denied, nudging Evie to the side a bit.

                It was a testament that the VKs were allowing Lonnie so close to one of their own, but they watched anxiously since the girl seemed like she knew what she was doing.  Lonnie checked Jay’s temperature before leaning to listen to his heart.

                “He’s going into shock.  My mom taught me a lot of first aid from her time in the war,” Lonnie gasped, ripping off her jacket and laying it over Jay’s torso, “Ben, Carlos, get his feet up.  He’s too pale.  Someone get help!”

                “Jane took off the minute Jay fell,” Doug called, hurrying over to offer help, “What happened?  Is he sick?”

                “We don’t know,” Ben bit out, placing a chair beneath Jay’s raised legs as Carlos let go of his friend’s feet, “Clear the area.  Fairy Godmother will have called for the school medical staff when Jane gets to her mother.  He’ll be fine.  Jay’s just…he’ll be fine.”

                “Don’t say what you don’t know,” Carlos snapped, glaring up at Ben as he placed his own jacket over Jay, “You don’t know what’s wrong with Jay.  You can’t just decide that he’ll be okay just because you want that to be true.”

                “Carlos,” Mal warned as the youngest of them grimaced, “You’re scared for Jay.  We all are, but watch your tone.”

                “No, Auradonions have a bad habit of deciding that everything will always be okay,” Carlos hissed, holding Jay’s limp hand tight in his own, “It only ever is for _them_.  Not for us.  Never for us.  Not for Isle kids.”

                The other students looked at one another uncomfortably before Jane’s mother appeared with the emergency medical crew kept on site. 

                “Step back,” Fairy Godmother instructed, reaching for the VKs as they glared up at her, “Jay obviously needs a doctor.  Let us help your friend.  We’ll take care of him, okay?  Come on.”

                “We go _with_ him,” Mal bit out, pulling Carlos and Evie up as the EMT began checking over Jay before easing him up on the gurney they’d brought with them, “We’re not leaving Jay alone.”

                “Understood,” Fairy Godmother nodded, gesturing for the kids to follow her once the EMT began rolling Jay from the room as the student body watched in awe at the proceedings, “Jane, tell me what you saw.  You told me you were behind Jay when he fell.”

                “Yes, Mother,” Jane agreed, scampering beside the group, “Jay, greeted me when I came up.  He’s a kidder and ribbed me a little bit to make me smile, but he was pale and looked kind of tired.  I asked him if he was okay and he said he was, but then he winced like he was in pain.  He grabbed for the edge of the table like he was dizzy and then he fell hard and the whole table went with him.  I couldn’t even try to catch Jay so I just ran to get him help.”

                “Thank you for that, Jane,” Ben complimented as the flustered girl nodded at him before flashing a quick smile as Evie reached to pat her back in appreciation, “Jay admitted to me that he had a headache all day.  Blamed it on being overly tired after the exams, but I think he was dizzy at practice for a moment too.  I thought it was confusion at the time, but I think what I saw was a dizzy spell.”

                “Pulse is also low,” Evie added, “That’s not normal for Jay.  He’s always been the most robust of the four of us.”

                “Yes,” Fairy Godmother sniffed, smiling slightly, “Most of my walls and vases know that from how active he is with his flipping about.  I thought Jay was unusually quiet in 3rd period class today.  I’m sure he’s just overworked himself and he did tell me that he has had headaches in the past a month or two ago.  I gave him some medication to help when the pain gets to him too much at that time.”

               "Jay said he took some of that today and showed me the bottle," Ben nodded out, "He was supposed to have gotten something to eat so he could take more medicine for the headache.  Then this happened."

               "But what is this?" Carlos fretted, watching Jay laying so limp and unaware on the gurney, "What is it?"

                It was a chaotic mess that the older fairy quickly organized near the medical wing as other students gathered out of curiosity.  Carlos hissed angrily and paced outside the medical wing door since no one was allowed inside while Jay was being examined after the hallway had been barricaded off from other students.  Fairy Godmother and Mal were arguing loudly over the restriction from the room as Ben tried to referee.

                “I _told_ you that we were going with Jay.  Why can’t we go in there?  He needs us.”

                “Mal, the doctor cannot do his job if we are all in his way.  I’m not allowed in either and I’m the headmistress.  Just try to be patient.”

                “Jay’s in there alone!  That is not how we do things!” Evie snarled, standing from where she was waiting in a rare display of temper, “We should be by his side!”

                “Let us in,” Carlos growled, “You let us in there _now_!”

                “ _Right_ now!” Mal bit out as her eyes went green in fury.

                “Mal, calm down,” Ben tried, turning to the frowning fairy, “Isle kids watch out for their own, Fairy Godmother.  Even people offering help were not trusted.  These four…they are _not_ friends.  They are _family_ and one of their family is sick or hurt.  They need to be with Jay.  I am doing a royal request here.  Please go speak with the doctor.”

                Fairy Godmother nodded as she entered the medical wing while the others looked to Ben in surprise.

                “You get it, Ben,” Carlos breathed, wrapping arms around himself as Mal and Evie nodded, “Jay is a brother…to all of us.  Always has been even if we couldn’t call what we had family on the Isle.  Couldn’t put a name to our band because that would have made us weak.”

                “How is it weak to call someone family?” Jane questioned as eyes turned to her.

                “Because then the family is used to hurt you,” Mal grumbled as Jane blanched, “Admitting you cared or loved someone can be that person’s kiss of death.  An enemy wants to hurt you, they go the coward’s way and take out loved ones.  So, we don’t love on the Isle.  Or…we can’t admit to the love or we lose those important to us.”

                “Jay was different,” Evie sniffled, wiping at her eyes, “He is strong.  People knew not to mess with Jay.  He only feared his father, with good reason too.  He was the glue for us.  He and Mal butted heads because they are the two strongest, but it was always in good fun between them and he gathered Carlos and I, himself.  Brought us to Mal and said that we were ‘interesting.’”

                “Jay’s way of claiming,” Mal snorted, smiling for a second, “'Interesting' meant that you were his.  It was the first thing he said to me.  That I was interesting.  He likes interesting and kept his collection safe, even at his own expense.  He teases when we need our spirits lifted, he is a shoulder to lean against when we are upset, and he is a wall that few can pass through when we are in danger.  Jay’s got to be okay.  What is taking her so long?”     

               “I’m sure Mother is doing what she can,” Jane insisted as Mal growled softly, “Jay’s nice.”

                Mal, Evie, and Carlos turned to the girl in curiosity.

                “He’s…like a big brother,” Jane continued, looking down, “I really like Jay.  I hope he’s okay.”

                No one answered, but Carlos flashed the girl an appreciative smile that she hesitantly returned before everyone gathered around Jane’s mother as she stepped from the door.

                “Jay’s being moved to the local hospital,” Fairy Godmother said as the VKs gasped, “I won’t stretch the truth, he’s very sick.  His blood pressure is too low which is why he’s been suffering with the headache and dizziness.  His system went into shock, but the medical staff have him stabilized for now.  The school doctor needs Jay in the hospital to run tests and see why his blood pressure is so low.  He’ll be taken by ambulance.  I’ll get a limo to take us to the hospital so you can be with him, okay?”

                “ _I_ ride with Jay,” Mal instructed, “I won’t allow him to be alone.  There are no negotiations on that.  None.”

                “Fine, Miss Stubbornness,” Fairy Godmother agreed, “You’d think we were a threat or something with how you are acting.”

                “We are, Mother,” Jane whispered without the others hearing as Ben and the headmistress glanced to her daughter, “Anything that stands in between them and Jay are threats.  They’re scared.  Let them alone.  They don’t handle things like the rest of us because their world has been so different from ours.  They mean no harm.”

                Fairy Godmother nodded in understanding and stepped from the door as Jay was wheeled outside on the gurney while the VKs clustered around their fallen comrade.  Jay was strapped down and still unconscious.  His face was as white as the sheet that covered him.  There was an IV attached to the top of the teens hand which hung from a pole at the head of the gurney and a mask of some sort strapped over his lower face.

                “What is that?” Carlos demanded, following the gurney as he fretted his hands together in distress, “Why is that thing on his face?”

                “That, Son, is a breathing mask,” the coach explained, stepping over quickly from where he’d been hurrying up the hallway, “It’s helping Jay breathe easier, Carlos.  Headmistress, I came as soon as I heard one of my boys had passed out.  What is going on?”

                “Unsure at the moment,” the EMT answered for Fairy Godmother as the group listened, “Blood pressure is trying to bottom out.  Boy’s dehydrated and looks like he’s been fighting this for a few days.  Why was he not brought to the medical ward sooner?”

                “Jay’s not one to complain,” the coach hummed, shaking his head, “Fight on or die.  I think that might just be Isle thinking so he must have ignored any symptoms to get through the day.  I have to watch Jay carefully during practices to get him to stay hydrated and calm down a bit so he can rest.  He pushes through what most athletes find impossible to overcome at times.  He drank plenty of water while he was with me, but his focus was way off.”

                “Well, something is certainly off with the kid and we aren’t sure what it is yet,” the EMT admitted, “Rob, get the other end.  We’ve got stairs here.”

                The Isle teens followed as the rest of the student body watched Jay being lifted in the gurney down the stairs and to the waiting ambulance pulled up to the front door of the school.  Voices murmured softly as Jane scurried over to some of her friends.  A lot were concerned and some just curious.  This had never happened before.  Nothing had needed attention like this in the past. 

                “Please, let us know what you find,” Lonnie called as Mal glanced over to her, “We all want to know how Jay’s doing.  He looks…please, let us know.” 

                Mal nodded once and watched as Jay was loaded into the ambulance before climbing inside to stay beside him.  The others took a tense ride in the limo as the ambulance sped away at high speed.  Carlos fretted at being restricted to the slower limo, but raced ahead with Evie to find where Jay had been taken once the group had arrived.  The hospital was small since this was reserved for royalty so finding Mal wasn’t difficult.

                “He’s undergoing testing now,” Mal began before the other two could question, “Jay’s blood pressure came up a bit on the ride here.  He’s doing better, but they have to find out what is causing all of this.  The EMT told me that there are numerous conditions that might be the culprit so we have to wait and see which test comes back positive.”

                “But he’s going to be okay, right?” Carlos asked.

To be continued...


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What is the mysterious problem with Jay? Is there more going on? We'll see.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoy.

Chapter Three

                Carlos fretted at being restricted to the slower limo, but raced ahead with Evie to find where Jay had been taken once the group had arrived.  The hospital was small since this was reserved for royalty so finding Mal wasn’t difficult.

                “He’s undergoing testing now,” Mal began before the other two could question, “Jay’s blood pressure came up a bit on the ride here.  He’s doing better, but they have to find out what is causing all of this.  The EMT told me that there are numerous conditions that might be the culprit so we have to wait and see which test comes back positive.”

                “But he’s going to be okay, right?” Carlos asked, “Jay’s strong and…the doctors here are like magical and people in Auradon don’t get sick and die like in the Isle.  He’ll wake up and be angry that we found out he’s been sick.  Jay hates that and…we won’t lose him, right?  The doctors will make him better.”

                “I hope so, Carlos,” Mal offered as the younger boy wilted, “But you’re right, Jay is strong.  He even tried to wake up in that ambulance.  Jay tossed his head a bit and tried to open his eyes for a second before he drifted back into unconsciousness.  The EMT told me that was a good sign.”

                Carlos and Evie shared a quick smile.  Maybe it would be okay.  Jay had always been a fighter.

                “Auradon is not perfect, Children.  I'm sorry to say, people certainly do…” Fairy Godmother began before being pulled back by Ben.

                “Nevermind that.  The waiting room is over there.  Headmistress and I will go get us some coffee,” Ben interrupted, pushing Fairy Godmother ahead of him gently, “Have a seat.  We’ll be right back.”

                The VKs watched the two go before exchanging glances with one another.

                “Come on, Carlos,” Evie instructed, pulling the boy over as Mal followed, “I’m sure Jay will be fine.”

                Carlos sat heavily in a chair as he sighed.

                “People _do_ die here,” Carlos moaned as the two girls looked at him, “I’m just…why would Auradon need hospitals if people didn’t get sick and die sometimes?  I’m not a baby.  I know this, but…you three are all I’ve got.  You three are all I’ve ever wanted for family.  We can’t lose Jay.  We _can’t_.”

                There was no answer for that and Carlos knew it, but Mal and Evie leaned against him as he pulled strength from two that were sisters to him.  Isle people didn’t hold out much hope that things would go their way.  Life did, until it didn’t and someone else took your place, but there was no one…not Ben, not Fairy Godmother, not anyone that could take Jay’s place.  Not for the three VKs waiting anxiously to hear about their friend.  Two cups of coffee later, a doctor stepped from the room and called for Fairy Godmother.

                “Come,” the fairy urged, bringing Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Ben along, “These three are Jay’s family and you know King Ben, Doctor.  They need to hear this too.  How is he?”

                “I’m sorry to say that the young man is very ill,” the doctor sighed as the teens flinched, “However, we do know _why_ now.  Isle children have never been vaccinated and I have a theory that while that barrier keeps the people in, it also keeps a lot of germs out.  Auradon has been slowly poisoning Jay from the illnesses the rest of us are immune to, Ms. Fairy Godmother.  I’m sure the other three are having some of the same happening to them internally and so we have a room the children will be examined in and receive their immunizations.”

                “And Jay?” Mal hissed.

                “He’s received what we can give him now, but he’s got to strengthen to get the rest,” the doctor assured as Mal relaxed, “Jay’s been fighting a major illness that was once an epidemic, ages ago in our lands.  Immunizing ended the spread of the illness, but not the germ itself.  That is why the young man’s blood pressure keeps falling and his system went into shock.  He’s a strong kid because most would have showed the worst signs of the illness by now, but the kid’s been unknowingly fighting it.”

                “And he’s going to be okay?” Evie pushed as the doctor sighed.

                “We hope so,” the man admitted as the teens glanced at one another in horror, “Look, we have Jay on strong antibiotics to fight the virus.  He’s weakened, but not giving up the fight.  He’s a tough kid and we'll what we can to help him recover.  Follow the nurse so we can get the rest of you checked out and immunized and then you can visit Jay.  I swear to you that I will do all I can as if that boy was my own child, okay?”

                “As if your own?” Mal questioned, “Like a parent from where we come from or like one from Auradon?  An Isle parent would abandon a weak child that caught some virus.”

                “I _save_ lives.  All lives no matter _who_ the person is,” the doctor snapped as Mal blinked at him, “I won’t lose that boy in there because _I_ care for my patients.  I know not a lot of people in your life has shown that people can care, but I do, Young Lady.  I will try to move mountains to save your family.  I promise.  Now follow the nurse.”

                The man went to leave before Carlos stepped in his way.

                “Thank you,” Carlos offered simply, turning to do as he was asked as Evie and Mal followed.

                “The children on that island need help,” the doctor growled as Ben looked to him in surprise, “The parents are tried villains, not the babies that were born after the Isle was set up.  These kids are acting like wolves backed into a corner.  They know only to challenge back and fight their way out.  I stand behind your proclamation, your majesty.  Excuse me, I have a patient that is in more critical condition that I wanted to admit to the others.”

                “That bad?” Ben gasped as the doctor nodded before leaving, “Fairy Godmother, Jay has to pull through.  If he doesn’t…there is no telling what the other three will do.  Evie will withdraw, Carlos will shut down, and Mal…it’ll be bad.”

                “One step at a time,” the fairy decided, pulling Ben towards where the others were taken, “I hear yelling and your girlfriend bites.

                It took Ben several minutes of reassurances before Mal, Evie, and Carlos would cooperate and undress to pull on some scrubs.  All three were poked, prodded, and put through multiple tests before being given the immunizations. 

                “Okay,” the same doctor said as he strode into the room, “Both girls were clear, but beginning to build up high, white blood cell counts which is telling me that something was trying to bite you two on the tush.  Carlos, you were positive for several viruses that are still in the dormant phase so you’ve been fighting off getting sick too.  I’m going to set you up on an IV for some antibiotics and you will remain here for observation which is why I wouldn’t allow you to get redressed.”

                “So these antibiotics will make things right again?” Mal questioned, stepping before Carlos as the doctor sighed at her distrust.

                “They should,” the man agreed, stepping around Mal to get to his newest patient as he urged Carlos up on a table, “Antibiotics fight infection and illnesses.  They are very handy to have when one is getting or is sick.”

                “I've read about them, but if I didn’t get sick, why did Jay?” Carlos asked as the doctor began getting the IV inserted, “Okay.  Ow.”

                “Yep. Needles stink a little,” the doctor admitted as Carlos flashed a quick smile, ‘Your friend Jay finally succumbed to this particular illness for two reasons.  One, he was exhausted and second, because he is a descendant of Jafar.”

                “And that means what?” Mal demanded, scowling angrily, “That he is less due to being a villain’s kid.”

                “No, Little Lady,” the doctor calmly denied, taping the IV in place on Carlos's hand, “Means that this particular virus is harder to fight for Arabian peoples. Jay was more susceptible to the virus and it latched on when he was too exhausted to fight it off any longer.  He’s awake now, but you three…”

                “Four,” Ben blurted as the others smiled at him, “Sorry to interrupt.

                “I see, four,” the doctor nodded out, “You have to be gentle with him. Jay is very confused and weak right now.  He doesn’t quite understand what is happening and has been asking for you all.  He nearly had to be sedated when he began struggling.”

                “ _Don’t_ do that,” Mal snarled, “Take us to him.  He’ll feel better once we’re near.  We should have been taken to him the minute he woke.”

                 Mal wanted to rush the doctor, but knew in her heart that the man was doing his best so she kept silent. She was the first to walk into the room and see Jay.  The bed was tilted up and he lay quietly against the pillow with his eyes closed and hair laying in a messy halo around him.  A strange tube was beneath his nose and seemed to be helping him breathe.  Evie gasped softly as Carlos walked up, rolling the IV pole beside him, making Jay realize someone was near so he opened tired eyes.

                “Hey,” Jay greeted in a near whisper as his friends gathered close, “Where…where you been?”

                “Close because we’d never leave you. We were getting shots like you,” Evie began, smiling brightly to reassure her friend as Jay blinked sleepily up at her, “Seems we were allergic to Auradon like you and needed immunizations.”

               “Hm, shots? Allergic?” Jay questioned before noticing Carlos’s skinny partner, “ _What_ is that?”

               “Medicine like you’re getting,” Carlos stated, showing Jay his own hand Carlos was grasping tightly, sporting an identical IV, “You and I were both coming down with some Auradon sicknesses so we’re stuck here for a bit. Of course, mean old Mal and Evie bypassed the yuck.”

               “I don’t understand,” Jay breathed, closing his eyes as he sighed, “What’s happening?”

                “You and Carlos are a little sick, Jay,” Mal explained as Jay opened his eyes to look at her, “Seems that we were never given immunizations like Auradon kids get when they are babies. We were all getting sick, but you caught something that affected you more since your Arabian, which made you more susceptible to the illness.  Your doctor is taking care of you _and_ Carlos.  We all got shots to keep this from happening again.  You need to get stronger so you can get the rest of the immunizations and come…come home.”

                “Home?” Jay wheezed, coughing slightly before gratefully sipping some of the water from the straw Ben held to his lips, “Thank you, Ben. I’m so confused.  I just had a headache.  Not sick.  Can’t be sick…I don’t feel right.  Want to go home.  Mal?  Mal, want to go home.”

              “Shh, Jay. It’s okay,” Mall soothed as she shot a troubled looked to the others before reaching to stroke Jay’s long hair, “You are sick and we’re all here to help you feel better.  It’s okay if you are ill, Jay.  Just relax.  You’re safe.”

              “No,” Jay denied, trembling as he closed his eyes, “Push through…never safe. Father…Jafar will be angry, Mal.  Hurts when he’s angry.  Have t-to push through.  Carlos sick?  Carlos sick.  _NO!”_

              Jay surged up weakly as the group gently pushed him back.

              “He’s hot,” Carlos gasped, touching Jay’s cheek as the teen settled back down and closed his eyes again, “He’s feverish.”

             “Thanks to the virus,” Fairy Godmother huffed, smoothing the ill teen’s hair from his face, “That’s probably why he’s so confused right now. The antibiotics will take care of the virus.  He needs to relax and rest so his body can fight off those little, germy invaders.”

             “Gross,” Jay groaned, opening his eyes to look at the IV on his best friend’s hand, “You stay here, Carlos. Got to watch you.  Don’t want you sick.  Have your back.”

             “Yeah,” Carlos agreed, hiding some tears as Jay closed his eyes again, “I got your back too. You just rest.  We’re all here for you, Jay.  Just get better, okay?”

             “Kay,” Jay sighed, growing still as he eased back to sleep.

To be continued...


	4. Chapter Four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy.

     Chapter Four         

              Jay surged up weakly as the group gently pushed him back.

              “He’s hot,” Carlos gasped, touching Jay’s cheek as the teen settled back down and closed his eyes again, “He’s feverish.”

             “Thanks to the virus,” Fairy Godmother huffed, smoothing the ill teen’s hair from his face, “That’s probably why he’s so confused right now. The antibiotics will take care of the virus.  He needs to relax and rest so his body can fight off those little, germy invaders.”

             “Gross,” Jay groaned, opening his eyes to look at the IV on his best friend’s hand, “You stay here, Carlos. Got to watch you.  Don’t want you sick.  Have your back.”

             “Yeah,” Carlos agreed, hiding some tears as Jay closed his eyes again, “I got your back too. You just rest.  We’re all here for you, Jay.  Just get better, okay?”

             “Kay,” Jay sighed, growing still as he eased back to sleep.

            “I’m not leaving him,” Carlos choked, holding Jay’s hand tighter in his, “I’ve never seen Jay like this.  We shouldn’t have come.  Mal, we should never have come to Auradon.  Jay might die because our parents…we…why’d we think that we could have a chance to live normal lives?  That’s for others, not villains’ kids.  Jay wouldn’t be sick now if we hadn’t come here.”

            “That’s ridiculous, Carlos.  Here or there means nothing.  Jay could already be dead now if someone had finally caught him on the Isle,” Mal spat as Carlos flinched, “It’s true.  All who live on that island, live on borrowed time.  We got out and chose to be good.  How would we have ever known that we’d get sick out of that filthy place, Carlos?  There are no immunizations on the Isle of the Lost.”

           “I should have thought of that,” Ben lamented as everyone turned to him, “This is all my fault.”

           “Well, that’s just a pile of mousey poop,” Fairy Godmother exclaimed as the others snorted trying to hold their laughter in so Jay wouldn’t wake, “You are no doctor, King Ben.  The thought of proper immunizations would never had crossed your mind.  You’re still a kid.  This is the fault of a human oversight by myself and your parents.  One of us should have realized that anyone brought here from the Isle would come from a place with no true medical care.  I’m sorry, Children.  I’m sorry that Jay is suffering because we assumed things.”

           Mal said nothing as she looked to Evie and Carlos before glancing at Jay.

          “I’ll accept that apology if my brother lives,” Mal stated as Evie and Carlos looked at one another and nodded.

          “We will too,” Carlos nodded out, “Only if our brother gets better.  Otherwise, I don’t wish to be here anymore.  I’d rather die on that island than live here without Jay.”

           Jay’s eyes cracked open for a second.  Evie caught his eye and winked as he lifted one side of his mouth in a half smile for a second before he closed his eyes again.  Brother, huh?  He could live with that.  Except…the other words?  “Brother lives.”  Lives?  Carlos dying on the…island?

          “No!” Jay gasped, trying to sit up again as the group huddled around him to hold him down, “Carlos?  Island?  Let me go.  Carlos.”

          “Here, I’m here,” Carlos soothed, getting Jay to lie still as the other focused back on him, “What’s wrong?”

          “Can’t go there.  Not to Isle,” Jay whimpered, shaking his head, “Not without me.  Not there…not there.”

          “Okay, Jay,” Carlos assured, seeing the determination in his friend’s eyes, “I won’t go to the island without you.  Just sleep so you can get stronger.  Sleep.”

          “Sleep,” Jay repeated, closing his eyes, “Little brothers don’t belong…on that isle.  Mal?”

          “Yes?” Mal asked as Jay sighed.

          “Little sisters don’t belong there either.  No go…without me.  You and Evie, no go.”

           Mal held the tears back as Evie broke down.  It was the first time any of them had acknowledged how close they’d become.

          “Absolutely,” Mal agreed, reaching to hold Jay’s other hand, “Sleep, Big Brother.”

          “Kay,” Jay hummed, “Evie?”

          “Right here,” Evie cooed, stroking Jay’s hair as he sighed again, “Go to sleep, Brother.  That’s it.  Sleep, Jay.”

           Ben stepped out the door with Fairy Godmother as the headmistress wiped some tears away.

          “Let the student body know what’s going on,” Ben insisted as the fairy nodded, “I’m staying here to watch after the four.  They trust me.  I can keep them out of trouble.  I wouldn’t put it past Mal to hack someone’s eyes out if they disturbed Jay right now.  Her eyes have gone green too much today.”

          It was true.  Mal’s natural pack leader instincts took control.  Two of her pack was down.  Jay was too sick to defend himself and Carlos was ushered into the second bed in the room so he could rest and wait for the medicine to clear up his system.  Made Jay happier when he would wake randomly and see Carlos near, but Mal itched to barricade the room over the next three days

        “No,” Ben tried, pushing the table back where it originally stood as Mal paced, “I find you _so_ attractive right now.”

        “What?” Mal snapped, chewing on a lip in thought as Evie grinned at the two while Carlos and Jay slept peacefully.

        “Pack Mama,” Ben sniffed, shaking playfully from side to side as his girlfriend chuckled, “Get em, Girl.”

        “She would too,” Evie reminded as she tucked Jay under the covers more while he slept, “Has anyone ever seen this one so still before?  Jay’s never like this.  Not even in sleep.”

        “I know,” Mal grumbled, replacing the table in front of the door as she turned to Evie while Ben pushed it back, “I’ll bite off fingers next time, Ben.”

        “Here,” Ben said, handing Mal her mother’s spell book, “Went and got that myself.  Feel better?”

        “How…when…oh, you get me _so_ much,” Mal gushed, hugging her boyfriend as he lifted her from the floor for a second, “Spectacular.  Get off me, King-y.”

         Ben chuckled as his girlfriend settle on a chair and began mumbling about protection spells while thumbing through her book as Carlos woke.

        “Hey,” Ben greeted as the two-toned haired boy smiled at him, “How are you feeling?”

        “Little tired.  Doctor said that it’s the medicine that is wearing me out,” Carlos shrugged out as Ben frowned, “Seems Isle kids react funny to medications since we’ve not really ever had any before.  Why are there flowers in here?”

       “Auradon Prep sent them to show they care,” Ben grinned out before huffing as Carlos raised a brow at him, “A lot _do_ care.  Some are taking their sweet butt, stubborn time to warm up, but many are worried for you four.  I get it, Carlos.”

       “How is Jay?” Carlos questioned, looking to the ill teen, “Is his fever lower?”

       “It is,” Evie answered, chuckling as Mal began mouthing the spells to get them memorized, “I even got some broth into him while you slept before he fell back asleep.  He’s more worried about you.  Wanted to know why you were sleeping and not fiddling with whatever that is.”

       “A germ buster,” Carlos grinned out, tapping the table over his bed to showcase…the mess of wires and parts, “Glad that you brought me my stuff, Ben.  When I’m done with this, no germs will enter my room and get my brother sick again because I’ll suck their germy butts right up into this thing.  Yeah, Baby.”

       “Isn’t that called a vacuum?” Jay croaked as he opened his eyes while everyone turned to him, “Hi.”

       “Hey, there, Big Man,” Mal greeted.

       “Vacuums suck up dust, I’m going for germs,” Carlos fussed as Jay cracked a tired smile, “How are you feeling?  For reals, Jay.”

       “Tired, bit hot,” Jay began, closing his eyes, “Everything aches, but not as bad as a few days ago.  Don’t feel nauseaous and the headache is finally gone.  You?”

       “Doctor said that the viruses in my bloodstream are beginning to clear up,” Carlos admitted as Jay smiled and glanced to him, “My tiredness is the medicine right now.  I’m not reacting normally to it, just like you, Jay.”

       “Isle kids are the same,” Mal griped, slamming her book shut as Jay looked to her, “No real medical care from birth so our bodies don’t know how to react to real medicine.  Doctor said Carlos’s system is settling and getting used to the antibiotics, but you will take a little longer since you actually caught a true illness.  Do you feel stronger?”

       “A little,” Jay nodded out as the others smiled at one another, “Don’t feel so noodle-like as before, but I’m hot.  Evie, I’m hot.”

       “Okay, Jay,” Evie cooed, wringing out a washcloth to dab on Jay’s face as he sighed in relief, “Fevers coming down, but you’re still pretty warm.  Just try to relax and I’ll cool you down.”

        But the daughter of the Evil Queen could not and Jay’s fever spiked dangerously high as he began hallucinating and mumbling phrases that made no sense or begging Jafar to not hurt him two days later.  The group were forced to wait as Jay was taken from the room to get a cold bath to try and bring down the fever.  Only Mal had been allowed to go with Jay since she’d bitten an orderly so deep that none wanted to fight with her.

       “Note to self, don’t piss off Mal,” Ben tried to joke as Evie held Carlos against her while the younger boy hid his tears in her shoulder, “It’s fine, Guys.  I once caught the flu so bad that I was in this hospital and given a cold bath too to bring my fever down and I was fine afterwards.”

       “You…you were?” Carlos stuttered, looking up as Ben nodded, “Even with having the fancy shots and all, you still got sick?”

       “Everyone does,” Ben pointed out as Carlos looked to Evie, “Even the strongest can get hurt or sick.  It happens.  It’s a part of life and yes, I know that you hid that on the Isle, but you four are not on the Isle anymore.  You’re safe here in Auradon where Jay is going to get better.  The doctor said he’s one heck of a fighter.  That virus he has is a bad one and he’s fighting through it.”

       “For us,” Evie murmured as Carlos nodded against her shoulder, “He doesn’t want to scare us.  That’s Jay for you.  Past the smirks and teasing, Jay has the biggest heart.  Maybe even bigger than Carlos here.”

       “Shut up,” Carlos grumbled as his basically-sister laughed, “This sucks.  This sucks so much.  I don’t want Jay to be sick.  I don’t want this for him or anyone else.”

       “Who would wish any illness for someone they care for?”   

        The group looked up as Lonnie stepped through the door with a large package.

       “I came to visit, but I’ve been told that this isn’t the best time.  Jay’s worse?” Lonnie started, handing Carlos the box, “Chocolates, Carlos.  Your and Jay’s favorite kind.”

       “Thank you,” Carlos said, placing the chocolates on the bedside table, “I’m going to save these until Jay’s better because he _is_ worse, Lonnie.  His fever spiked.  Doctor called it a relapse.  Said that Jay’s system is just having trouble fighting off the virus.  It’s some kind of old sickness from an epidemic.”

       “Yes, I heard.  The burning sickness,” Lonnie groaned, taking a seat at the end of Carlos’s bed, “Spread through my mother’s kingdom two years before Fa Mulan was born.  Ones of Asian or Arabian blood were especially susceptible to the illness.  Immunizations wiped out the problem.  I’m so sorry that Jay has to deal with this.”

       “Broken mirrors, me too,” Evie sighed, slumping against Carlos’s pillow, “I hate that I feel so helpless.  That there is… _this_ that I can’t do something about.”

       “I understand,” Lonnie breathed as the other three looked to her, “I was small when my great grandmother passed away.  I loved her so much and she was feisty.  Mama said I inherited her feistiness, but my great grandmother had lived a long, long life and was tired.  She got sick and I couldn’t help her fight the sickness.  I wanted to so bad, but she told me that she was ready to pass away.”

       “I don’t want Jay to leave us,” Carlos whispered, shaking as Evie wrapped him in her arms again.

       “Jay isn’t in the same place my great grandmother was in,” Lonnie soothed, “Jay is younger and stronger.  The burning sickness usually took people’s lives in two to three days.  From what I heard, he’s been fighting the illness long before his collapse and he’s been here for about six days now.  He’s wánqiáng.”

       “Meaning?” Evie asked as Carlos looked over at Lonnie.

       “Tenacious,” Lonnie explained, “Jay doesn’t give up.  I’ve never seen him give up on anything.”

To be continued...


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ever onward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like.

Chapter Five

          “Jay isn’t in the same place my great grandmother was in,” Lonnie soothed, “Jay is younger and stronger.  The burning sickness usually took people’s lives in two to three days.  From what I heard, he’s been fighting the illness long before his collapse and he’s been here for about six days now.  He’s wánqiáng.”

          “Meaning?” Evie asked as Carlos looked over at Lonnie.

          “Tenacious,” Lonnie explained, “Jay doesn’t give up.  I’ve never seen him give up on anything.”

          “He is,” Evie agreed, hugging Carlos as he nodded slightly before the door opened and Mal stepped back as Jay was wheeled into the room on another gurney.

          “No…please,” Jay mumbled tossing his head as his damp hair stuck to his cheeks before sighing, “Sorry, Jafar.  No more…please.”

          “You’re okay, Kiddo.  No one’s going to hurt you,” the doctor murmured, pulling back the blanket over Jay before sliding his arms beneath the ill teen, “Up we go.”

          Lonnie gaped at how limp Jay seemed as the doctor lifted the teen from the gurney to his bed.  Jay looked smaller in the hospital pajamas and in the doctor’s arms.  Fears raced through Lonnie at seeing a friend like this.  Mal rushed to support Jay’s head as the doctor eased the limp teen back down in his hospital bed.

         “Stop,” Jay mumbled as Mal and the doctor tucked him in while his eyes cracked slowly open, “Mal?”

         “Here, Jay.  I’m here,” Mal replied as he looked up at her, “Hi, there.”

         Jay smiled before closing his eyes and seeming to relax as the doctor set up a new IV before re-positioning a fresh tube beneath the teen’s nose to supply Jay with needed oxygen.

        “Fever is lower and I’ve got him on stronger antibiotics,” the man reported as the teens listened, “The relapse is due to his body fighting the meds.  Jay’s a stubborn thing inside and out.  His system got used to the first round of antibiotics and they stopped working.”

        “So why not use the strongest stuff to begin with so Jay doesn't have to get worse?” Carlos demanded, frowning.

        “Because it is best to be as noninvasive as possible when treating a patient,” the doctor snorted, smiling at the teen as Carlos cocked his head in question, “People’s immune systems can be weakened by not allowing their bodies to fight on their own.  We only up the ante when a person is not reacting to the first set of meds, like Jay.  His system is strong, but you four didn’t have the antibodies to fight off certain sicknesses.”

        “So, Jay’s body tried to fight the virus and then started fighting the medication to help him get well?” Evie questioned as the doctor nodded, “Well, that sucks.”

        “It can,” the doctor laughed, smoothing Jay’s hair as Mal watched him carefully, “That is why we are monitoring his blood work so carefully.  First set of antibiotics wasn’t working so we set up a stronger round.  His fever lowered with the bath, but now let’s hope that Jay is able to fight the fever with help from the new meds.”

        “What about black elder tea?” Lonnie asked as everyone looked to her, “Great Grandmother always made the family black elder tea when we were feverish.  Mom still does that.  Tasted foul, but really helped.”

        “Not a bad idea,” the doctor hummed, looking to Jay as the teen shifted and moaned before stilling as Mal soothed him, “A natural remedy is something that you Isle kids seem to react to the best.  Maybe I’ve been going about this all wrong.  Maybe what Jay needs is what he received on that blasted island.”

        “Natural tonics made of herbs,” Evie gasped, standing from the bed as Carlos blinked at her, “The only kind of medicine there really is on the Isle.  What we’d give to Jay when he was so hurt and fighting infection after another beating.  The same that we all took when...we've all needed tonics at times.”

      “I hate Jafar,” the doctor crabbed as Mal scowled at him, “Like the man’s son, hate the father.  Really, _really_ hate the father.  Don't like a lot of your parents.  I apologize if I offend.  Hate that island.  Stupid idea.  Sorry, King Ben, but that is my true opinion.”

        “It’s okay,” Ben sighed, “I hate that island too.  Good in theory, but not working.  This system isn’t working.  Not if innocents are trapped in there with limited food, resources, and help when being mistreated.  That wouldn’t fly in Auradon.  Why is it okay there?”

        “Please,” Jay wheezed, tossing his head as Mal tried to calm him, “Don’t…stop.  Hurts.”

        The room grew silent as Jay settled.

        “Black elder tea,” Lonnie reminded.

        “On it,” the man nodded out, turning to Mal, “Call us if his temperature rises.  Remember how I showed you to use the automatic thermometer?”

        “I do,” Mal agreed, “And to push the red button there if Jay goes into crisis.  _Help_.  _Him_.”

        “I will,” the doctor agreed, “By the way, my name is Dr. Myrddin son of Merlin.  With all that has happened, I don’t think I properly introduced myself to Jay’s family.”

        “Mal, one of Jay’s younger sisters,” Mal said, shaking the offered hand before gesturing to the others, “Evie, Jay’s other sister and Carlos, Jay’s little brother.  Ben’s my boyfriend so kind of family.  Lonnie isn’t family, but life’s not over yet and we are done with touchy-feely.  Tea.”

        “Tea,” Dr. Myrddin nodded out, leaving with the gurney.

        “I _like_ that man,” Carlos declared, sitting up eagerly, “He likes our Jay and hates Jafar.  Good enough for me.”

        “He also gets what you all dealt with,” Lonnie pointed out as the others looked away, “I’ll go because visiting hours are almost up.  I hope the tea helps.”

        “Lonnie,” Mal called as the girl halted, “About the tea idea, thanks.  You moved up a notch on the almost family chart there.”

        “I just hope it helps,” Lonnie sighed, looking worriedly at Jay before smiling at Mal, “I might even be a cousin one day.  That’d be cool.”

        “Sure, Cuz,” Mal teased as Lonnie waved as she left.

        “Hm…mm,” Jay sighed, fluttering confused eyes as he woke and looked around, “Mal?”

       “Here,” Mal said, taking Jay’s hand as he looked up at her.

       “I don’t feel good,” Jay whispered, “Feel sick, Mal.”

       “I know and Dr. Myrddin is going to help you.  You’re going to be okay,” Mal began before growing silent as Jay shook his head.

       “Not going to be okay,” Jay denied as everyone gasped, “Feel it.  Hurting inside too much.  I hurt, Mal.”

       “Where?” Mal demanded as Jay’s eyes closed, “No!  Stay _awake_ , Jay.  Where do you hurt?  _Tell_ me!”

        Jay stilled completely as Mal looked frantically up at the others.

        “Calm down.  That could just be the fever talking,” Ben tried, placing his hand on Jay’s cheek, “He’s still pretty warm.”

       “No, he’s hurting,” Carlos breathed, going to sit up before being pushed down as Evie hit the red button, “Evie?”

       “We know our brother better than anyone, Ben.  Jay’s hurting,” the daughter of the Evil Queen fretted, “Jay doesn’t admit to pain unless he’s desperate.  Something is wrong.”

       “Agreed,” Mal hissed, “I wonder…could it be the medicine?  He hasn’t said he was in pain before the new antibiotics.  Achy, yes, pain, no.  If we Isle kids are not used to Auradon medicines, could that be hurting Jay?”

       “Like an allergic reaction,” Ben spat, glancing to Jay urgently, “Maybe the medication is actually making everything worse and no one has figured that out yet.”

        Dr. Myrddin was the one that answered the call and listened carefully before beginning his examination.  Jay was deeply asleep and knew nothing of what was occurring as the doctor unbuttoned his pajama top.

        “For Merlin’s sake,” Dr. Myrddin cursed, showing Mal a large patch of rash forming on Jay’s chest before unhooking the IV, “Of course, this can’t be easy.  You guys figured it out.  He’s allergic to the medication.  The pain he’s feeling is the antibiotics acting more like a slow poison than helping cure the virus.  So, I’ve got to address this the homeopathic way.”

         “Oh.  Jay like girls not dudes,” Carlos offered as the group snorted, “What?”

         “Homeopathic means natural medicine, Silly,” Evie laughed as Carlos cocked his head, “Natural tonics and less invasive medical interventions that many believe is better for the body.  Especially if someone has sensitivities or allergies.  What about Carlos?  Is his tiredness due to the antibiotics too?”

          “Perhaps,” Dr. Myrddin agreed, “I’m going to draw some blood on both of you and then run some allergy tests.  The case has become a little more difficult, but I can still help Jay.  Mal, a nurse is going to bring the tea.  Wake Jay up and get that tea in him.  Do not take no for an answer.”

           “Done,” Mal agreed, re-buttoning Jay’s top so she could tuck him under the covers while the doctor left and came back just as quickly to draw blood from first Carlos and then Jay.

           Mal had her hands full once the tea arrived as Jay denied drinking what he needed to help with the fever.

           “No,” Jay whimpered, tightening his lips as Mal tried to get him to drink, “It’s poisoned.  No.”

            “You need this, Jay,” Mal huffed, pinching Jay’s nose closed before pulling back as Ben slapped at her hand, “Ben, he needs this.  You heard Dr. Myrddin.”

            “I know, but…” Ben began before growing quiet as a hand reached and took the tea from Mal, “Carlos?”

           “Jay?” Carlos called, ignoring Ben as Evie pushed the bar on one side of Jay’s bed down so Carlos could sit on the edge of the bed while Mal arranged the IV stand to be a bit closer, “Hey there, Jay.”

           “Hi,” Jay whispered, glancing up at Carlos in confusion before gasping in panic as the other teen sipped the tea, “No, poison!”

To be continued...


	6. Chapter Six and Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What now?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy and let me know if you like this tale. I enjoyed writing it.

Chapter Six

           Mal had her hands full once the tea arrived as Jay denied drinking what he needed to help with the fever.

          “No,” Jay whimpered, tightening his lips as Mal tried to get him to drink, “It’s poisoned.  No.”

          “You need this, Jay,” Mal huffed, pinching Jay’s nose closed before pulling back as Ben slapped at her hand, “Ben, he needs this.  You heard Dr. Myrddin.”

          “I know, but…” Ben began before growing quiet as a hand reached and took the tea from Mal, “Carlos?”

          “Jay?” Carlos called, ignoring Ben as Evie pushed the bar on one side of Jay’s bed down so Carlos could sit on the edge of the bed while Mal arranged the IV stand to be a bit closer, “Hey there, Jay.”

          “Hi,” Jay whispered, glancing up at Carlos in confusion before gasping in panic as the other teen sipped the tea, “No, poison!”

          “No, medicine,” Carlos corrected, taking another sip as Jay watched him carefully, “You’re really sick, Jay.  This is going to help the fever and any pain.  Drink it for me, Big Brother.  It tastes like what Chad’s shoes smell like after a practice, but you need this to get better.”

           “Ew,” Jay breathed before groaning as the cup was tipped to his lips so he could swallow a bit, “Oh, _nasty_.  Give me the poison instead.”

           “Nope,” Carlos chuckled, tipping some more into Jay’s mouth as the older teen gagged a bit while the others in the room winced in sympathy, “I know, Jay.  It’s terrible.  I’m so sorry, but you need this.  Don’t fight us.  We can’t lose you.  You’re scaring us.  Come on.”

          Jay’s eyes flew open as he looked to Carlos before glancing to Evie and Mal.  They were scared.  The three weren’t hiding it either.  Ben looked worried too, but it was his family the long-haired teen cared the most about.  Jay grabbed the cup, despite the fact that his hand trembled badly so Carlos didn’t let go, but tipped the rest of the foul-tasting stuff into his mouth.

           “Ugh,” Jay choked as his eyes watered, “I need tongue bleach.  Gross.”

          “Hate to say it, but one more cup,” Mal sighed as Jay groaned loud, “I’m so sorry.”

           “Hold my nose again,” Jay begged as Carlos helped him hold the newest cup as Mal did as she was asked before he downed the cup quickly, “Sands of the desert, that’s foul!  Water, _please_.”

          Evie held the straw to his lips as Jay tried to wash the nasty taste off his tongue before he sat back gasping for air.

          “Gross, gross, gross,” Jay mumbled, scratching at his chest, “Itchy.”

          “Yeah, me too,” Carlos admitted, showing everyone a similar red rash on his arm with clear scratch marks, “I didn’t want to say anything earlier.  I thought I was reacting to the needle, but it seems that I might be allergic to the antibiotics too.”

          “Allergic?” Jay questioned, pulling Carlos closer to see the rash before listening as Ben began to explain everything, “You thought homeopathic meant _what_ , Carlos?”

          “Shut up,” Carlos blushed out as Jay shook in laughter while everyone else grinned at the blushing teen, “You sound more like yourself, Jay.”

          “Fog began to clear once I noticed your concern,” Jay huffed, “Don’t cry, Evie.”

          “I’m just happy to see you awake because you said…” Evie choked out as Jay’s eyes widened, “You admitted to hurting and said you weren’t going to be okay.  We _need_ you to be okay.”

          Jay’s mind screamed at him in anger for allowing himself to scare his siblings.  That’s what they were, siblings.  Family.  His family.

          “I’m going to be fine,” Jay assured as Evie bent to hug him, “I wasn’t thinking right.  I have no memory of saying that.  I might say more if the fever gets too high, but I’m not losing to some weak-ass Auradon virus, okay?  I don’t roll like that.”

          “Promise,” Evie pushed as Jay scoffed, “Promise us, Jay.  Promise that you won’t leave us.”

          “Do it,” Mal urged as Ben and Carlos both nodded at Jay.

          “I promise I won’t leave,” Jay began as his adopted siblings beamed at him for a second, “But a promise needs something in return.”

          “Isle thing?” Ben asked as the rest nodded.

          “You, in bed,” Jay instructed as Carlos stood and crawled back into his own bed, “You, try to stay calm, Dragon Lady.  Get up here.  Yes, with me.”

          Mal crawled up on the bed with a grin as Jay reached and closed her eyes.

         “Sleep,” Jay ordered, “Evie, up with Carlos.  That’s a girl.  You sleep too.  Ben, proper food for my family once they wake up.  Carlos, go to sleep.  Ben, he needs an extra blanket and a wet cloth for his itchy arm so he doesn’t claw himself to death.  Eyes closed, Mutt Boy.”

         “Mean,” Carlos snorted as he smiled softly.

         Ben grinned as he settled another blanket over Evie and Carlos as Jay and Mal snuggled to get some rest.  He certainly wasn’t jealous of the long-haired teen.  Jay was a brother to Mal.  Not a potential lover.  Dr. Myrddin pulled the prince outside a couple of hours later since the rest were deeply asleep.

         “Jay’s got some decent allergies here which is typical of his bloodline in regards to some chemical agents,” the man began, “Nothing we can’t work around, but he’ll need to wear a medical bracelet from now on in case of emergencies.  Carlos is allergic to the specific antibiotic we had him on which is why I switched out his IV bag.  He’ll get a medical bracelet too.  I have a homeopathic expert on the way.  She will know what else we can do to help Jay.  His fever is lower now, but he’s not out of the woods just yet.”

        “He promised not to leave the others,” Ben began, looking over his shoulder to the door, “Jay might be sneaky at times, but he always keeps promises.  Especially to the others that he sees as family.”

        “Which is good,” Dr. Myrddin acknowledged, “Patients that choose not to give in to their illnesses are the ones that react the best to treatment.  Here is an ointment for rashes to help with the itchiness for the two.  This is all natural so Jay and Carlos will be fine.  Call me if you need me, King Ben.”

         Ben took the ointment and nodded as the doctor left.  Later, Carlos and Jay very much appreciated the relief from the itching.  Jay kept his promise.  He held on.  He held on when the fever burned him from the inside out.  He held on despite the high temperature causing him to have a seizure that scared everyone so badly that it took hours to calm Carlos back down or even get the young man to talk again.  He rallied with the new doctor’s care as his system began to react better to the more natural medicine.  Every step of the way, Mal, Evie, and Carlos had guarded as Ben watched on.

        “That’s it.  _Yes_ ,” Dr. Myrddin whispered, feeling Jay’s forehead as the teen slept deeply almost nine days later, “The fever’s finally broken.  Jay’s beat the burning fever.  He’s going to be okay.”

        “He’s going to be okay?” Mal repeated as the doctor nodded before she turned to Evie with a small smile beginning, “Jay’s going to be okay.”

        “Carlos,” Evie gushed, waking the slumbering youth, “Jay’s fever broke.  He’s going to be okay.”

        “What?” Carlos gasped, standing quickly since he was finally allowed off the IV and out of bed to feel Jay’s arm and then his cheek, “The fever’s gone.  He’s…he’s breathing easier.  He beat the virus?”

       “That he did, Kiddo,” Dr. Myrddin agreed as Carlos sagged into a chair as he placed his head into his hands, “Jay is a tough kid.  He held on.”

       “For them,” Ben pointed out as the VKs looked over at him, “Jay made a promise.”

       “He did,” Mal grinned out, stroking Jay’s hair as the teen slept on, looking more relaxed than he’d looked for days, “Our brother doesn’t break his promises.  Not on that island and not here either.”

       “Best type of patient to have,” Dr. Myrddin grinned out, “I’ll go call Fairy Godmother and let her know the good news.  Jay needs time to recover, but he’ll be back to normal as soon as he strengthens and gets the last of his immunizations.”

       “I need to call my parents and let them know too,” Ben nodded out as he followed the doctor out the door.

       Evie placed a trembling hand on Carlos’s shoulder as the teen reached and held tight to Jay’s hand.  Mal leaned over from the opposite side of the bed to place her hand to Carlos’s before Evie’s hand joined the other three.

      “For us,” Mal whispered as the other two looked up at her, “Jay beat this for us.”

       “And we’ll get that happily ever after,” Evie breathed as Carlos leaned against her, “We’ll get it being VKs, or not.”

       “Because our big brother wants that for us,” Carlos choked out as he looked to their sleeping pack member, “We’ll do it for him.”

       “Damn straight we will,” Mal snorted, holding up a bit of the teen’s hair, “Jay needs a haircut.”

       “As soon as he’s well,” Evie agreed, reaching to stroke Jay’s hair from his face, “He only trusts me with his hair and I’ve been putting him off.  I won’t do that again.  We’re in this together.”

       “Together,” Carlos and Mal repeated as Jay slept on peacefully.

Epilogue:

       “This is embarrassing,” Jay fussed, pulling his hat down a bit more while leaning sulkily back in the wheelchair he was forced to use for at least a month or two by doctor’s orders, “I can walk.”

        “No way, Jay,” Coach chuckled, pushing the teen towards the dining hall, “Headmistress only agreed to let you come back to school if you listened to Dr. Myrddin’s wishes.  He wants you doing as little physical activities as possible until you are back at normal strength levels.  You could still relapse if you push yourself.”

        “Dude,” Jay grumbled, looking backwards at the coach, “This sucks.”

        “It’d suck more if you get sick again so man up,” the coach teased as his student groaned, “Here’s something that will cheer you up, Jay.”

        “Hm?” Jay hummed as the coach stopped the chair to kneel beside the teen.

        “You have to miss the next few games, but you have quick eyes and good incite,” the man began as Jay listened while playing with his new medical bracelet he needed to wear, “I need you as my assistant coach.  Our team is down it’s MVP, Jay, so you’ve got to help us overcome the giant hole and losses we’ve had without you there.”

        Jay narrowed his eyes as he leaned away from the coach.

       “I don’t need pity,” Jay snapped as the coach smiled at him, “What?”

       “I’m pitying myself and not you,” the coach snorted, “We need you out on that field, but I think you are the one that can help us win with the great plays you come up with despite your absence in the game.  I need you.  Truly, seriously, deeply, _profoundly_.  You even get your own whistle, Coach Jay.”

       Jay laughed while he took the offered gift as he blushed at the praise.

       “Well, if you’ve got to twist my arm and all,” Jay chuckled as the coach grinned at him, “Um…thanks.  For letting me still be a part of the team despite being a little…weak right now.”

       “You nearly died, Jay,” Coach stated, sobering instantly, “All four of you might have died if you hadn’t have gotten sick so the doctors could discover the problems that were developing in all of you.  Now all four of you are immunized and safe from a lot of harmful illnesses.  You survived.  Surviving is not being weak.  Don’t think that way.  I know that is an Isle thing, but you pushed through everything thrown at you and won.  That’s real strength and now you and I are both uncomfortable.  Dinner.”

       “Dinner,” Jay repeated, liking the change of topic as he was pushed into the dining hall before jumping in shock.

       “SURPRISE!!!”

       “Wha?” Jay gasped as the student body threw confetti and blew on annoying noise makers while most clapped and cheered.

        There were balloons and a big sign that said “Welcome Back Jay and Carlos!”  Tables were loaded with party food and music started up as Jay brushed the confetti out of his newly trimmed hair that hit him in the middle of his back again.

       “Surprise,” Carlos giggled, reaching for the handles of Jay’s wheelchair to push him towards their friends’ table as well wishes and congratulations were called out, “Jane and Lonnie arranged all of this.  You missed me falling on my butt when they did the same to me earlier.  You’d have loved it.”

       “He can see it,” Chad called, holding up his phone, “I videotaped it and plan on posting the video of Mr. Clumsy later.”

       “Really?” Jay grinned out, holding out his hand while Carlos grumbled irritably at the blonde prince, “Let me see, Chad.”

       Chad slapped the phone in the long-haired teen’s hand as Carlos groaned.

       “Oh, dear,” Jay cooed, handing Chad the phone back a second later as Carlos straightened to listen, “I hit the wrong button and _erased_ the video.   My bad.  So, so sorry, Chad.  Carlos, food.  I see chocolate waffles.”

       “Seriously?” Carlos questioned, beaming happily at Jay, “We haven’t had chocolate since polishing off the box given to us by Lonnie.  Must have.  Come on.”

       Jay chuckled as he was zoomed at top speed to the food table before outright howling in laughter as Carlos wheelied his chair backwards a few seconds before handing Jay a tray.  Carlos began eagerly filling two plates with food as Jay and he chattered at one another teasingly.

      “Man,” Chad fussed as Ben walked up to him with Mal and Evie.

      “Mistakes happen, Chad,” Ben soothed, “The important thing is that we didn’t lose Jay or Carlos, right?”

      “Right,” Chad moaned, slinking away sulkily.

      “He’s back, isn’t he?” Ben hummed, watching Jay interact with others walking over to talk with him and wish him well.

      “Oh, he’s back, alright,” Mal chortled watching Jay flirt and tease before looking over to her with a wink.

      “For us,” Evie smiled out, “And he’ll get stronger and get out of that chair.”

      “Because we’ll make sure of it,” Mal agreed as Ben nodded with a grin, “Now what was that song?  Ah.  Naughty and nice.  Saying it twice.  Naughty and nice.” 

      “Just _love_ that spice,” Evie sang.

      “Like fire and ice, just take my advice,” Carlos sang back as he pushed Jay over with the full tray of food held by the older teen. 

      “There’s nothing like being naughty,” Jay sang, “And, well, _maybe_ a _tiny_ bit nice.”

       His family laughed.  They laughed and smiled.  Jay would forever deny the hug.  He would deny it until the day he died, but the picture of his family swarming him as he laughed with them was one of his treasures.  One that he found interesting and as for Ben…one of his favorite treasures was the memory of finding the other three VKS, wrapped tight around Jay most nights until their older brother was completely healed.  Another was the green eyes.  The green eyes that warned Ben each time he discovered the four, to keep back.  Mama wolf was guarding her pack and he’d learned that Mal bit hard enough to draw blood.  Biting wasn’t always a bad thing, now was it?

The end.

 


End file.
